The intervention comes two days after Sir Howard Davies’ Airports Commission produced an interim report shortlisting the expansion of Heathrow and Gatwick as the best options for meeting future capacity requirements.

Despite the economic argument in favour of building a new runway, all the main parties are saying they will wait for Sir Howard to produce his final report after the general election in May 2015.

“We believe that any party which is serious about governing Britain must go into the 2015 election expressing a clear commitment to airport expansion and must at the very least agree to be 'guided’ by the Airports Commission’s final report. As the Airports Commission has acknowledged clearly in its interim report, doing nothing is no longer an option.”

Clear political support for more airport capacity now would make it easier for any future government to move ahead quickly to authorise expansion projects soon after the election, the letter argues.

“The findings of the Airports Commission are compelling, in particular that all of London’s main airports will be full by the end of the next decade unless action is taken soon after the next election,” it says.

The letter has been organised by the Let Britain Fly campaign, which is supported by senior backbench MPs including Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservatives’ 1922 Committee, and Louise Ellman, the Labour chair of the Transport Select Committee.